Nigel Farage made ‘non-apology’, says school contemporary who accused him of racism | Nigel Farage
Nigel Farage has been accused of “failing to apologize” after saying he was “sorry” if he had “genuinely” harmed someone by a school contemporary who accused him of racist and anti-Semitic behaviour.
For the first time since the row ended following the Guardian investigation, the Reform party leader expressed some remorse for the impact of his alleged behavior while at Dulwich college, a private school in south London.
“I think there are two people who said they were injured and if they were, that’s a shame and I’m sorry,” Farage said in an interview with the BBC. “But I never, ever intended to hurt anyone. Never.”
The comments were made in an interview with Laura Kuenssberg, the host of a documentary about the rise of her leading party in the opinion polls. In a series of stories published in recent months, the Guardian included testimonies from 34 school contemporaries who said they had witnessed or been exposed to Farage’s alleged racism or antisemitic behaviour.
Among the alleged victims was Emmy and Bafta-winning film producer Peter Ettedgui, who claimed Farage regularly mocked him with anti-Semitic comments including “Hitler was right”.
In response to Farage’s latest comments, Ettedgui said the Reform leader needed to explain why his initial reaction was to publicly deny detailed allegations from a wide group of people. He said: “Thirty-four people have given first-hand information about Nigel Farage’s abusive behavior at Dulwich University, including students and teachers who suffered or witnessed it.
“We each vividly remember Farage’s racist, xenophobic and anti-Semitic bullying, as well as his admiration for fascist leaders from Hitler to Mosley.
“This extremely aggressive behavior continued unabated throughout the teenage years until we left school at 18, going far beyond what was considered normal or acceptable even in the 1970s.
“Farage’s ‘non-apology’ today is at least different from previous deplorable attempts to excuse his racist insults as ‘jokes’ or to denigrate those of us who speak out as liars or delusions.”
Ettedgui said “urgent questions” remained given Farage was aiming to become prime minister. He said: “Why did he consistently deny the disgusting behavior that so many of his schoolmates remembered, rather than acknowledge and sincerely apologize?”
Ettedgui also asked: “To what extent did the racist views he expressed vociferously in Dulwich shape his political agenda today?” He also asked the question.
Farage had initially threatened legal action against the Guardian and denied any racist or anti-Semitic behaviour. He later suggested that his behavior might have been seen as a “joke” forty years ago but would be viewed differently today.
His report Farage argued with Kuenssberg that his behavior would not have been out of place in 1970s Britain.
He said: “Let me tell you, I would have been very, very surprised if young boys in an all-boys school in the late 1970s had not said things to each other, had not been cruel in some ways.
“I also received many supportive messages, including from two Jewish students in my A-level group. All sorts of things were happening between young boys in an environment where boys were present. Was there anything deliberate or with intent to injure or hurt? Really? No, absolutely not.”
